IngramSpark Holiday Order Dates: US Hardcovers by Nov. 30, Paperbacks by Dec. 7

IngramSpark has posted its recommended holiday order dates for print books. On its holiday ordering page, the company tells US customers to order hardcovers by November 30 and paperbacks by December 7. The page frames the dates as the way to "give your books the best opportunity to reach readers" during what it calls peak ordering season.

The dates, by market

IngramSpark lists the same three markets on the page:

• United States: hardcover by November 30, paperback by December 7.
• United Kingdom: hardcover by December 4, paperback by December 7.
• Australia: hardcover by November 30, paperback by December 7.

These are recommended order dates, not delivery guarantees. IngramSpark says print turnaround times "are estimates and may be affected by order volume, holidays, or other operational factors."

How the printing clock works

The page explains how IngramSpark counts printing time. Orders placed by 3 PM Central typically begin printing the next business day. Orders that come in after 3 PM on a business day, or at any time on a weekend, typically begin printing two business days later. Weekends and holidays are not printing days.

After printing, orders typically ship within one to two business days, because they still have to be sorted and packed before a carrier picks them up. The company's own example uses five day Economy printing: an order submitted on a Monday prints Tuesday through the following Monday and ships on Tuesday, eight days after it was placed.

Rush printing has limits

Authors who plan to lean on Rush printing in December should read the fine print. IngramSpark says Rush gives an order higher priority but "does not guarantee a specific ship or delivery date." Printing and shipping are also separate: the page warns that an order with Rush printing and Basic shipping "may take up to two weeks to arrive after leaving our facility."

The page also says expedited service levels such as Rush "may be removed during periods of higher order volume, such as the holidays." In other words, the faster option may not be on the menu when it is most wanted.

Changing or cancelling an order

Orders can be cancelled in the account within 30 minutes of submission, using the Cancel button on the Submitted Orders page. After that, orders with a Pending, Submitted or Print Ready status can be cancelled by customer service at ingramsparkorders@ingramcontent.com. Once printing starts, IngramSpark says it cannot change the print service level or cancel. Shipping addresses and methods can be updated until tracking is assigned, and the company says it cannot change order quantity or print facility at any time.

One common holiday snag is a file revision. If a book does not show as Available because revised files are still processing, the order sits in Pending, and it cannot finish printing until the new eProof is approved. Authors planning a corrected edition for gift season should approve proofs well before the order dates.

What authors can do now

For author copies, event stock or direct sales, the practical step is to work backward from the dates above and leave room for the shipping method chosen. IngramSpark also points customers to its newsletter and its business updates page for changes during the season.